Violent crimes: A national enigma

Violent crimes: A national enigma

By Mochtar Buchori

JAKARTA (JP): News about violent crimes, which have happened
so frequently lately in our society, has alarmed everyone in our
society, except the criminals themselves. People react in many
different ways to this situation. There are those who panic,
fearing that they or one of their relatives will become the next
victim of these mad crimes. There are also those who want the
government to take firm measures immediately, and conduct a
nation-wide hunt against these criminals. They urge the
government to launch a "shock therapy" operation.

And then there are those who point out that hunting and
eliminating the criminals alone will not solve the problem. They
argue that, ultimately, the step that must be taken in this
regard is the elimination of the sources of these crimes, which
include the ever widening gap between the haves and the have-
nots. As long as this social and economic imbalance is not
properly addressed, and improvements in this respect are not
clearly visible, a new generation of criminals will always emerge
in our society to take over the role of those we have eliminated.

Underneath these differing reactions there is one question
which baffles every member of our society. This is the question
of the origin of this barbaric and inhuman type of criminal
offensive. We have always had criminals in our society, but never
before have we witnessed such groups of sadistic criminals as we
have now.

Most of us are puzzled by this situation, since it clashes so
starkly with the image we all have about ourselves and our
society. Aren't we the world's most friendly and warm-hearted
people? Hasn't our society always been endowed with religious and
other ethical norms and wisdom to guide us in our individual and
collective lives? How can it be that hordes of such beastly
people managed to evolve in our society without anyone taking
notice of them?

Another question which is also troubling our society's psyche
concerns itself with what must and will be done next to stop all
these criminal acts and restore security, peace and order within
our society. No one seems to have a clear idea of what will
effectively stop this wave of criminal violence. This is very
worrying because as long as there is no convincing sign that we
have the knowledge, skill or wisdom to handle this problem of
violent crimes, the fear that one day we may also become a victim
of such a crime will always linger in our minds.

For many of us there is no reason to believe that we are
exceptional people who cannot be touched by these criminals. No
matter how law abiding and helpful we try to be towards others,
there is always the probability that one day we will be
confronted by a madman, who decides that we are going to be his
next prey.

The formula prescribed by the government in this case is that
security, peace and order in our society are the collective
responsibility of the entire society. It has been repeatedly
stated by high ranking government officials that it is
unrealistic to expect the government to be able to effectively
fight and abolish these criminal groups entirely on its own.

Society must assist the government in this effort. If society
as a whole unites behind the government and supports its efforts
to control and stem crime, then we will succeed in this
particular effort. But if our society is indifferent in this
regard and does not actively support the government, then we will
never be able to restore security, peace and order in our
society.

The problem with this formula is that it rests upon a very big
assumption. To assume that the entire society will be able to
unite itself, and stand solidly behind the government in fighting
crimes is, in my opinion, a little presumptuous. At best, such an
assumption is an expression of hope, an ideal, and not a
statement of an plausible policy.

Groups within any society will unite only if they feel their
interests will be protected and their opinions respected. So far
it is only in times of war, or severe national crises, that
governments are perceived as protecting the interests of the
entire society, irrespective of ideological or commercial
groupings that exist in society.

Does it mean then, that there is nothing the various groups
within our society can do to help the government fight criminal
gangs? Of course not. There are many things that each of us can
do to help the government in this regard, but not through direct
involvement in steps aimed at eliminating crimes. Fighting
criminal gangs requires a very high degree of professionalism. It
is not a job for amateurs. What each group within our society can
do is to help the government eradicate the sources of these
criminal acts. Each of us has to define the type of action we
will take and the kind of attitude we will adopt to show our
participation in the campaign to eliminate the sources of crime.

Whatever we decide to do, to become proactive in the national
campaign to eradicate this criminal epidemic, we must always keep
in mind that restoring security, peace and order is, in the final
analysis, a matter or restoring our collective respect towards
the law and other ethical norms. Analyzed in terms of the mental
processes that underlie such behavior, this is a matter of
strengthening our conative power, strengthening our determination
to respect and uphold norms.

It is only if everyone of us, from top to bottom, does our
utmost to heighten our regard towards the law, and other ethical
norms, that tangible improvements in security, peace and order
will gradually emerge in our mid. But as long as there are still
members of society who put themselves above the law and other
ethical norms, true security, peace and order will constantly
elude us.

It should be clear by now that guiding our society to fight
crimes and restore security, peace and order is not a matter of
mobilizing and solidifying societal support. It is more a matter
of educating society towards greater moral commitment. It is a
problem of building up national conscience. This immense national
assignment can never be accomplished through rhetoric alone.

Dr. Mochtar Buchori is an observer of social affairs based in
Jakarta.